TasRail’s federally funded $82 million Shiploader Project was formally opened by the Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, at an official event at the Port of Burnie recently.
The event was attended by Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, Labor Senator for Tasmania Anne Urquhart, Mayor of Burnie Teeny Brumby, as well as key customers, stakeholders and contractors.
TasRail’s Shiploader directly loads a range of bulk commodities and is connected to the rail and road network via TasRail’s Bulk Minerals Export Facility. In the last financial year, TasRail shiploaded 575,047 thousand tonnes of minerals for export.
TasRail CEO Steven Dietrich said that the official opening was a result of a shared objective between all levels of government – Federal, State and Local.
“We are immensely grateful for all the support that this project has, and continues to receive,” Mr Dietrich said.
He said that the new shiploader would provide certainty to TasRail’s existing customers and help attract investment into new mining projects in the state.
“Importantly, our Shiploader was built by Tasmanians for Tasmanians. At the peak of construction, the project employed an estimated 140 people across a range of businesses across the State.”